ROMFORD PAEDOPHILE CARL SMITH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES

In April 2016, Carl Smith, a 37-year-old resident of Romford, was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of possessing and creating indecent images of children, some at the most severe level of abuse. The case came to light following a police investigation triggered by a tip-off from the United States authorities, which was relayed to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Authorities had been scrutinizing individuals who used the file-sharing application eMule to distribute and collect illicit material involving minors. The NCA’s investigation led to a search of Smith’s residence in Romford on the morning of May 1, 2014. During the search, Smith admitted to officers that he had been “downloading a lot of porn,” which raised suspicions about the nature of his downloads.

Detectives questioned Smith about the presence of indecent images on his computer. He confirmed that he had indeed downloaded such material. Subsequently, officers were taken upstairs to a spare bedroom where they examined the computer used by Smith. The device was found to contain a disturbing collection of 514 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, it was revealed that among the images stored on Smith’s computer was one showing a grown man engaging in sexual activity with a three-year-old girl. Further analysis of the device uncovered 473 images classified as Category B and 1,792 as Category C, which include still photographs and videos of a sexual nature involving minors. Smith claimed to have deleted some of these files before running a recovery program in an attempt to retrieve an old document, but the evidence indicated otherwise.

Smith pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent photographs of a child. However, no evidence was presented to support three additional counts of possessing such images for show. During police interviews, Smith admitted to downloading large quantities of pornography, which he acknowledged would almost certainly include images of children.

The court heard that Smith used the eMule platform to browse through shared collections from other users, allowing him to access and download illicit material. He then transferred these files onto an external storage device, ensuring that his collection remained private and inaccessible to others.

Legal representatives for Smith, including Charlotte O’Connor, highlighted that his mental health issues, including depression and a recent diagnosis of mild Asperger’s Syndrome, had contributed to his downward spiral. The court was also informed of a serious car accident in 2008, which resulted in Smith serving a prison sentence and subsequently losing his job. The breakdown of his marriage was also linked to these events.

Ms. O’Connor requested that any custodial sentence be suspended, arguing that Smith should be given the opportunity to participate in the Internet Sex Offender Treatment Programme to address his behavior.

However, Judge Grace Amakye emphasized the seriousness of the offenses. She acknowledged that the images were downloaded solely for Smith’s own sexual gratification and not for distribution, as the manner of his downloads prevented others with similar predilections from accessing his material. Nonetheless, the judge stated that the offenses committed by Smith exceeded the threshold for immediate custody.

Consequently, Carl Smith was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order and required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the computer seized from his home and imposed a £100 surcharge on him.